The Los Angeles launched the 2025 season and were one of the most respected rotations in all of baseball, but Yoshinobu Yamamato quickly established himself as the team’s ace this year.
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The right-hander has made four starts with the this season. Yamamoto has a 1.23 ERA in 22 innings.
Yamamoto, who faced the Chicago Cubs on Friday, pitched six scoreless innings in the ‘ 3-0 victory. The latest right-handed performance confirms he is paced to become a candidate for the NL Cy Young Award.
“I’m very interested in that because I haven’t heard that Japanese pitchers haven’t won yet,” Yamamoto said via Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. “I want to do my best every day because I think focusing on all the games and playing at my best is what leads to such a great award.”
The scary part for opponents this season is that the 26-year-old only improves in his second year with the . Tommy Edman, who was rewarded by Yamamoto for his efforts on the mound with a three-run home run on Friday night, spurred the praises of the right-handed.
“He’s unrealistic. He was pretty much dominant throughout the season,” Edman said of Yamamoto. “I’m just in awe of how well he’s executed. He just lit up and was our best pitcher this year.”
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Photo credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Image
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